Press Releases
City of Gonzales Public Works Staff Receives 2019 Transportation Excellence Awards from Transportation Agency for Monterey County
The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) awarded the City of Gonzales Public Works Department a 2019 Transportation Excellence Award for their work on the City's "5th Street Bridge Pilot Traffic/Pedestrian Safety Program" at the TAMC board meeting on January 22, 2020. The award honors the Gonzales staff for their outstanding efforts to improve transportation in Monterey County.
The Fifth Street bridge is the main freeway interchange in Gonzales and is congested during the morning commute from residents driving to work and school children walking to the Gonzales Middle School and High School. The City of Gonzales Public Works staff members were nominated for their efforts directing traffic and pedestrians at the Fifth Street bridge during the morning commute hour, a project that started as a pilot program during the 2018-2019 school year.
Each morning from 7:15am until 8:00am four staff members and one supervisor are on-hand to move the traffic queues through both on/off ramps while juggling the pedestrian movements. As a result, motorists have learned to be more intentional approaching the on/off ramps as they look for the public works staff to move the vehicles as a queue.
As a result of the staff's work, the delay for morning commutes has decreased significantly. What used to take more than 20 minutes to cross the bridge, now takes less than 5 minutes. The program has increased the safety of the school children who are more mindful using the crosswalks at the on/off ramp; and an unintended consequence are the personal connections public works staff is making with the children they see each day.
The TAMC 2019 Transportation Excellence Awards has four award categories: Individual, Group, Program and Projects. The following nominees received awards:
- Individual: Andrea Renny, Traffic Engineer, City of Monterey
- Group: Gonzales Public Works Department Staff
- Program: MyTown Exhibit
- Projects: Congress Avenue Rehabilitation Project, MST Mobility Services Center and River Road & Arroyo Seco Road Pavement Rehabilitation Projects
About City of Gonzales
The city of Gonzales, California is located in Monterey County. The quaint and culturally diverse community of approximately 9,000 people is in the heart of the Salinas Valley’s agricultural and wine region. Gonzales is an established regional leader in agricultural-technology and innovation, environmental awareness and sustainable practices. Gonzales is home to companies such as HealthySoil, which manufactures products to improve agricultural crop production; Converted Organics, a natural fertilizer company; Taylor Farms, a fresh vegetable production facility, Mann Packing/Del Monte Fresh, a leading supplier of fresh cut vegetables; Ramsay Highlander, an innovator, designer and manufacturer of technologically-advanced harvesting equipment; Papé Equipment Handling, Braga Fresh, Green Valley Farm Supply, Tessemae’s, American Bioscience, Caraccioli Cellars, and Constellation Brands, an international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits.